Cruciferous Vegetables

Scientists have been mounting evidence to support the cancer-fighting abilities associated with consuming broccoli and other members of the crucifer family for more than a decade. Past studies have shown that the super-food family directly influences the expression of more than 400 genes immediately after eating the tasty vegetables. Further research bodies have also shown that broccoli consumption can play an important role in lowering the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, and yet to date, the precise metabolic pathway for disease prevention has largely been unknown.

Many people joke about the sometimes embarrassing after-effects of consuming cabbage, but the truth is, this cruciferous vegetable can help your health tremendously. While red cabbage is known to have the highest levels of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties over the other varieties (green and Savoy), eating any kind of cabbage provides extraordinary healing and overall health benefits.

We’ve long known that consuming a diet of processed foods that are void of nutrients and flavonoids dulls the immune system and dramatically increases the risk of infection, inflammation and chronic disease. Now, a research team from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute’s Molecular Immunology Division in Australia has published the result of their work in the journal Nature Immunology that demonstrates how eating your greens may be even more important than previously thought.

Scientists have been mounting evidence to support the cancer-fighting abilities associated with consuming broccoli and other members of the crucifer family for more than a decade. Past studies have shown that this super-food family directly influences the expression of more than 400 genes immediately after eating the tasty vegetables. Further research bodies have also shown that broccoli consumption can play an important role in lowering the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, and yet to date, the precise metabolic pathway for disease prevention has largely been unknown.

A review study in Annals of Oncology suggests that eating lots of cruciferous vegetables can significantly reduce risk of developing many types of cancer including oral cancer, esophageal cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer and kidney cancer. Epidemiological studies have shown that eating cruciferous vegetables was associated with reduced risk for a number of cancers, but not all studies were consistent.